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from the Palantir-presents-possible-problems-picking-promotions-—-project-positivity dept.
Silicon Valley firm Palantir Technologies is being sued by the US government over alleged "systematic" discrimination against Asian applicants and members of staff.
A lawsuit has been filed which alleges that the firm has used discriminatory recruitment procedures since 2010.
The US Department of Labor is seeking compensation for those affected, including lost wages and promotions.
Palantir Technologies said it "firmly denied" the allegations.
"We are disappointed that the Department of Labor chose to proceed with an administrative action and firmly deny the allegations," the company said in a statement shared by The Wall Street Journal (subscription website).
"Despite repeated efforts to highlight the results of our hiring practices, the Department of Labor relies on a narrow and flawed statistical analysis relating to three job descriptions from 2010 to 2011."
The US Department of Labor has sued no company for discriminating against Americans.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Jiro on Wednesday September 28 2016, @07:31AM
I read TFA. It doesn't say "Asian-Americans". It says "Asians". It links to the lawsuit. That doesn't say "Asian-Americans" either. And don't assume more than it says; it is entirely plausible that there is a legitimate reason to "discriminate" against non-citizen Asians, such as disproportionate failure to pass security checks and disproportionate tendency to pad resumes.
And it's also quite possible this is retaliation against Peter Thiel for going against social justice.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @07:42AM
I once worked with a fellow computer programmer. She had a PHD in nuclear physics. She was a US citizen formally Chinese citizen. She could not get work anywhere. She could not get the clearance for it the DoD would not clear her. Decent physicists, lousy programmer :)
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday September 28 2016, @03:41PM
You don't need a security clearance to get a job. The vast majority of programming jobs in the US have nothing to do with the government or security clearances.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @08:49PM
To get one in her field of study did. She was of the 'boom' kind of nuke student. Also most nuke plants do not want to touch you either with that background.
She came here because of the square thing.
I flat out asked her why she was doing a shit low paying computer programming job (this was in the mid 90s). "I can not get a security clearance and no one will hire me because of where I am from so I am doing this". You can not get more clear than that.
(Score: 1) by tftp on Thursday September 29 2016, @05:22AM
"I can not get a security clearance and no one will hire me because of where I am from so I am doing this".
Anyone who is even minimally familiar with the process can guess that she has too many strong connections to her place of origin. Multiple relatives, multiple visits to and from, frequent contacts, unverifiable past and present - all that combined leads to rejection. It's certainly not nice, but DSS investigators are not hired to be nice people.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @07:52AM
And it's also quite possible this is retaliation against Peter Thiel for going against social justice.
And even more possible that it is justice for a gay racist evil Trump supporting person.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @08:10AM
Pieces of shit like you are the problem, not Peter Thiel. Scumbags like you should be hunted down.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @08:23AM
I love you, too, man! Just not that way, and I'm poor, and Asian, and I will vote for Hillary. Can we still be friends?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @09:23AM
No. Repeat, no.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @02:25PM
Why is this flamebait?
Can't gay racist evil people be Trump supporters?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @07:13PM
Can't gay racist evil people be Trump supporters?
Evidently not! Oh, grate, now Trump is going to loose the erection! I Blame Milo!!!!!
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday September 28 2016, @02:12PM
Maybe, but I determine whether an organization should be punished based on whether they're guilty of what they're accused of, not the political implications of the action. Sure, it may be retaliation, but that doesn't make somebody not legally responsible for their own actions.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by schad on Wednesday September 28 2016, @02:26PM
Selective enforcement is always a bad thing. It's inevitable, to at least a certain extent, because we can't catch everyone who breaks the law. But justice is supposed to be blind. Would you have a problem with a police department which exclusively pulled over black people for speeding? I would. The fact that they were all actually speeding wouldn't change that. It's inappropriate for the police to target a specific ethnic group, just as it's inappropriate for the DOL to target a specific person.
Of course, who knows if that's what's actually happening. But by the DOL's own logic, we don't have to prove that it actually targets political enemies. We just have to prove that it sues people who happen to be political enemies at an improbably high rate.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @02:30PM
> We just have to prove that it sues people who happen to be political enemies at an improbably high rate.
1 case is, by definition, not a rate.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday September 28 2016, @02:58PM
In that case, what you are really arguing for is that there shouldn't be laws against racial discrimination in hiring.
The problem with your concern is that there is also a flip side to it: Should Mr Thiel be immune from prosecution for crimes he's actually committed, because he stood on the stage and proclaimed something politically controversial and thus *any* government action could be seen as retaliatory? That is just as wrong as targeting him because of his statements.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @03:41PM
> That is just as wrong as targeting him because of his statements.
No, it is worse. Because it lets anyone have a get out of jail free card just by being politically obnoxious. If you've done something wrong and the feds start sniffing around, just say something outrageously insulting and boom! there is your get of jail free card.
If the laws were arbitrary or the punishments disproportionate (like debtor's prison for jaywalking [washingtonpost.com]) then we'd be talking about equivalent problems. But employment discrimination is a serious and legitimate crime. And its not like Palantir isn't so well resourced that they can't easily afford the best possible legal defense.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @02:28PM
> Maybe, but I determine whether an organization should be punished based on whether they're guilty of what they're accused of, not the political implications of the action.
You must be new here. Conspiracy is the only legitimate explanation for anything. The rule of law does not exist. Everything is rigged. Trump! Trump! Trump!